Vehicles often require a fuel in order to operate and typically require the replacing or insertion of such a fuel during extended use of the vehicle. Typically, a vehicle requires a specific type of fuel, and may, in fact, be converted to use various different types of fuel. Many vehicles are designed such that a user or driver may refuel the vehicle themselves, and many fuelling stations are currently provided to allow for such a refuelling process.
In order to cater for a plurality of different vehicles utilising different fuel types, a typical fuelling station may comprise several fuel providing means, such as fuel pumps, to any one user and vehicle. In other words, a vehicle is positioned in an appropriate location in the fuelling station for the refuelling to take place and a user is provided with a choice of different fuel dispensing means dispensing different fuel types at this location. Generally, the fuelling station is provided with a forecourt that contains the plurality of fuel providing means and allows for the vehicles to be positioned thereon in a correctly aligned and safe position for refuelling.
Therefore, a user is faced with a choice when it comes to selecting the correct fuel. Choosing the correct fuel is critical for the operation of a vehicle. Not only may an incorrect fuel cause inefficient or poor performance, but in some situations, an incorrect fuel may also cause damage to the engine or exhaust system of the vehicle, often leading to expensive and time consuming repairs. There is also a potential environmental cost in that fuel incorrectly inserted into a vehicle would also need to be reclaimed and disposed of in a safe manner according to legal regulations. Several methods and schemes are currently in place in order to aid the user in identifying and selecting the correct fuel type from the plurality of available fuel types.
For example, when considering an automobile, a typical fuelling station is provided with, at minimum, two fuel pumps corresponding to a petrol pump and diesel pump providing petrol and diesel fuels respectively. To distinguish the two, a colour-coded system may be employed such that, for example, the petrol pump is provided in one colour, e.g., green, and the diesel pump is provided in a different colour, e.g., black. In addition, or alternatively, the pumps may have other indicia, such as written labels or the like, to further aid the user in distinguishing the different fuel providing means. Therefore, a user may make a correct choice of fuel based upon these indicia.
However, the above described scheme does not account for a user not knowing or being aware of the correct fuel type of a certain vehicle, or from inadvertently selecting a wrong fuel type from the plurality of fuel pumps. For example, a user who is familiar with a petrol powered automobile may be provided with a diesel powered automobile, either as a new purchase or rental automobile. For the user, in this case, it becomes almost instinctual to select the petrol pump at the fuelling station. Indeed, the user may supply the automobile with the incorrect fuel type before realising they have done so, which may affect the performance of the automobile or even cause serious damage to the automobile.
A similar situation may occur at a fuelling station that provides skilled technicians to assist the user in the refuelling process, wherein the technician may insert the fuel into the vehicle. In this case, the technician may be unaware of the specific fuel type required for that vehicle, at least on first inspection. Thus, the technician is either forced to consult the user of the vehicle or to consult the operating manual for that vehicle. Both of these options add time and some inconvenience to a refuelling process.
A need exists, therefore, to provide a system or arrangement for identifying the correct fuel providing means at a fuelling station without relying purely on a human interaction, which introduces an inevitable element of human error into any refuelling process, and to provide a system that is able to operate safely and reliably.
One existing system utilises magnetic strips positioned on a fuelling pump. Specifically, US 2012/0305127 A1 describes the use of at least one magnet disposed on a nozzle of a fuel pump, wherein the nozzle of the fuel pump is fluidly connected to a pumping mechanism which supplies a certain fuel. In general, a vehicle fuel tank is typically provided with a fuel line which fluidly connects the fuel tank with a fuel tank opening positioned on the exterior of the vehicle and which is accessible to the user. When the opening is exposed, the nozzle of the fuel pump is able to be inserted therein and form a fluid path with the fuel tank. In the system of US 2012/0305127 A1, a sensor ring is disposed in the fuel line. The sensor ring includes a number of magnetic sensors, such as Hall sensors, which detect the presence of a magnetic field.
In this sense, magnetic strips are provided on one type of fuel pump, for example, a petrol pump, and the sensor ring is provided in the fuel line of, for example, a diesel powered automobile. Thus, when the nozzle of the petrol pump is inserted into the fuel tank opening of the diesel powered vehicle, a warning, such as illuminated LEDs, is provided when the sensor ring detects the magnetic field to let the user know that the incorrect nozzle is inserted.
The above described system also relies on a further existing technique to ensure that the correct fuel type is provided. Typically, the diameter of the nozzle of a fuel pump and the diameter of the opening of the fuel tank of a vehicle can be altered so as to avoid incorrect fuelling. As described in US 2012/0305127 A1, a nozzle of a diesel pump is typically larger than the nozzle of a petrol pump, thus meaning, if the openings of the corresponding fuel tanks are sized accordingly, that a diesel pump cannot be inserted into a petrol powered automobile. However, such systems still allows for a diesel vehicle to be misfuelled with petrol.
A further system, described in WO 2008/053171 A1, uses radio signals to distinguish between a diesel fuel and a petrol fuel. In this document, a transceiver is placed in the body of a vehicle, preferably in the boot or trunk thereof so as to be situated away from the fuel inlet. An aerial attached to the transceiver is preferably wrapped around the outer surface of the vehicle's fuel filler pipe. A reflective tag, which is described as being power-free, is positioned on a non-diesel fuel dispenser pump, either on a nozzle or handle thereof. Thus, the system distinguishes if a non-diesel fuel, e.g., petrol, is to be inserted into a diesel vehicle. In this regard, the system relies on already established techniques, such as the different sized nozzles and fuel tank openings discussed above, to prevent a diesel fuel from being inserted into a petrol vehicle. The system is also described as being a retrofit system, and is typically fitted to the wiring of the vehicle so as to draw power therefrom.
In operation, the transceiver continuously emits a radio signal at a specific frequency which passes through the body of the vehicle and to the reflective tag. The reflective tag then reflects the radio signal such that it returns to the transceiver and is detected. Thus, when the received radio signal is detected by the transceiver, the transceiver knows or determines that the fuel provided by the fuel dispensing pump is an incorrect fuel, i.e., not diesel, for the vehicle, and therefore the system prevents or halts a fuelling process. In contrast, when the radio signal is not detected, i.e., the reflective tag is not present, the system allows a fuelling procedure to commence or not be interrupted. In this regard, an alarm may also be provided, preferably an audio based alarm, which activates when the incorrect fuel is about to be inserted into the vehicle.
GB 2437276 A describes a system for preventing the inadvertent dispensing of the incorrect type of fuel into a vehicle fuel tank comprising an identifier device which is indicative of a first type of fuel and an electronic detector device, which is capable of determining the first type of fuel from a proximate identifier device. The detector device is capable of generating a signal if the first type of fuel is not of a predetermined type. The receiver unit includes an RFID receiver which is capable of interrogating an RFID tag on the fuel pump nozzle. The receiver unit is powered by a battery and includes a photodiode which activates the receiver unit when the receiver unit is exposed to light. This makes the whole system dependent on its activation by a photodiode, those light dependent diodes being very unreliable (especially during the night hours with artificial light) and very expensive.
The above described schemes and systems do not reliably provide a system that can readily account for an increasing number of fuel types. For instance, in today's market, a number of high performance fuels with differing octane ratings exist, as well as biofuels and the like. Only certain vehicles can operate with such fuels and thus a distinction between these fuels is required.
In addition, the above described schemes and systems can not reliably prevent the introduction of an incorrect fuel into the fuel tank of a vehicle; merely, they provide a warning which may or may not be ignored and/or missed by the user.
In light of the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method and an apparatus for reliably preventing the misfuelling of a vehicle.